


Grey

by livesybaby



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Drabble, Fluff, Humour, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-24 02:48:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13204176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livesybaby/pseuds/livesybaby
Summary: a little drabble inspired by something I tweeted earlier (@FunGh0ulz) ..orRobert accidentally dyes his hair.





	Grey

He’d been admiring the view in the mirror when he first noticed it, a long strand of grey running through the centre of his waxed-up fringe. After the year he’d had what, with the car crash, the baby that was never his and enduring the wrath of Liv as he tried to make things up with Aaron it was no wonder he was prematurely greying. 

“Well it’s not exactly before your time is it?” Aaron shrugged “You are, what? Pushing fifty now?”

“I’m _thirty-two_ Aaron” Robert sighed “Not that you’d understand the meaning of vanity with your hair permanently gelled under your hoodie” 

That’s how he’d ended up in the hair-care section of superdrug, looking for some miracle cure that would fix his hair issue. Aaron hadn’t been bothered at his sudden change in appearance, shrugging his shoulders and telling him he looked ‘ _alright_ ’ like it was some term of endearment. Liv understood, of course she did; she was a teenage girl - “I’m not having my weird brother-dad looking like my weird brother-granddad, come on we’ll go into town” 

Liv of course had ulterior motives, offering to help Robert track down his perfect shade of blonde in return for a semi-permanent box-dye for her own hair, Aaron wouldn’t settle for a permanent shade no matter how much she pulled the “I’m _nearly_ an adult Aaron, don’t be a bore” card. Of course Liv had chosen the desired shade of chestnut brown more than twenty minutes ago and was now huffing, puffing and sighing with all her might to get Robert to “Just choose a bloody colour and let’s go, I preferably want my hair coloured _before_ I die of starvation”

And so Robert was left with a choice, of course there wasn’t Robert’s perfect shade of blonde on the shelf, you couldn’t buy perfection in a box so he was trying to settle a debate between Ash Blonde and Platinum White. “Go for the Ash unless you fancy twinning with Doug” Liv had sighed, shoving the lighter shade back on the shelf and dragging him to the counter “He’s paying” She’d nodded to the girl on the counter before cheekily sliding a cherry-coke lipbalm into the basket. 

After a takeaway pizza and being forced by Aaron to help Liv with her revision “No one’s dying their hair tonight if that Trig-..Trigo-… _Numbers thing_.. isn’t up to scratch” Robert and Liv had ended up fighting over the bathroom with a “My need is greater than yours” And “You’re a lad, you can always have a buzz-cut if you get desperate” speech but in the end Aaron had scolded them like the complete _Dad_ he is “Right, you’re both sharing the bathroom - that’s final, You’re giving me a fucking migraine!”

Squeezed into the tiny box-room of a bathroom they’d tried their best to keep to their own sides, elbows in each others sides at every opportunity and Robert’s annoying “You’ve missed a bit” like a thorn in Liv’s side. “Right, mine says develop for 30 minutes so you can have your own space for a bit Princess” Liv had sniggered, making sure to _accidentally_ drop the towel on top of the peroxide bottle, hiding it from view.

Robert was leaning over the sink in a desperate attempt not to drip peroxide onto the shoulders of his t-shirt. He reached over for the bottle of dye and squirted the liquid abundantly into his hair, carding his gloved fingers through so it reached every strand. It hadn’t taken as long as Liv’s had, being a lot shorter and so when Liv came back into the room to wash hers off he was finished applying it. “Come on, I need your help washing mine off” Liv had blurted, distracting him from his attempt to look in the mirror. The colour had taken well to Liv’s light hair, though making her look slightly paler than normal. “Come help me dry it then” She shoved Robert from the bathroom “You’ve got ages left on yours yet”

By the time he’d blow-dried Liv’s hair and been roped into French-braiding it for her it was time for the mixture to be washed from Roberts hair. “Want some help?” Liv asked, biting her lip suspiciously. Robert had shaken his head obliviously, bypassing the mirror yet again in favour of leaning over the sink. Liv hovered in the doorway, awaiting the penny-drop moment as Robert rinsed the remaining colour from his head. “It is supposed to be this dark?” Robert had mumbled, watching the coloured water drain down the sink, Liv hadn’t responded… hadn’t thought this far ahead. 

She watched the moment Roberts shoulders stiffened, freezing as he held his weight up on the edges of the sink, watching the Chestnut coloured water swirl around the plug hole. “Liv..” He spoke, still in his confused-before-angry voice “..Liv why is the water…” He turned around to face the young prankster, who had her eyes wide at the sight, biting back laughter. “..Liv what have you done?..”

“Well you didn’t want it to be platinum..” She snorted, fleeing the room as he turned to look in the mirror, his once blonde-pride camouflaged with a warm brunette shade that made his blue eyes pop, or maybe that was the sheer horror of accidentally dying his hair the wrong colour. He didn’t stick around to work out, instead opting to chase Liv down the stairs to where she’d hidden behind Aaron in the kitchen.

“OLIVIA!” Roberts voice shrieked as he fumbled his way down the spiral staircase

“What have you done now, Missy?” Aaron’s voice came from the kitchen, his back to the staircase as he washed dishes. 

“It was an accident, I swear” She bounced, deciding whether to stick around for the fall out or leg it to Gabby’s house. 

“What was an-…Oh!” Aaron blurted, turning around to face Robert “..-What _happened_?”

“SHE.. SHE FUCKING HAPPENED!” Robert flustered, pointing at Liv who had her mouth covered by her sleeve, trying not to laugh. 

“You look.. um.. different… new shirt?” Aaron said plainly before giving himself away and snorting

“I can’t believe this.. What am I going to _do_ Aaron? I look like I belong in a bloody _boyband_ ” Robert paced 

“Not a very good one” Liv tittered, shoulders shaking as she tried to conceal her laughter

“You two are _unbelievable_ ” Robert sighed, running a hand through his new hair as he assessed the damage in the reflection of the oven door. 

\--

**Gerry**

Gerry had been the first person to see the _new_ Robert, he’d walked in shortly after the disaster saying something about playing VR when he stopped dead in his tracks. He gave a double-glance towards Robert as he tried to work out what was different, Aaron chuckling into the palm of his hand as he watched the cogs ticking. 

“You look different” Gerry spotted, furrowing a brow and tilting his head at Roberts annoyed expression

“You think?” He responded dryly 

“Have you been somewhere?” Gerry asked

“Like where?” Robert asked incredulously

“I dunno like Spain, somewhere nice - posh and that… you’ve got a proper tan on ya” Gerry plonked himself in between the couple and picked up the game controller. “Looks nice on ya, He’s glowing ‘int he Aaron?”

“Sure pal” Aaron snorted “Must be that nice weather we’ve been having”  
“Dunno why you’re wearing a woolly hat though, looks a bit weird indoors mate” Gerry screwed up his face, staring at Roberts hair. 

Robert, speechless for once stared between Gerry and a hysterically laughing Aaron before groaning “I’m going to bed.”

\--

**Paddy**

Paddy had been staring a little longer than what was considered polite. He’d been over to drop off the keys to his car after Aaron had promised to give it the once over that afternoon and while Aaron had been upstairs changing into his overalls Paddy had caught sight of Robert - hair askew - drinking coffee in the kitchen. 

“How much did that cost ya?” Paddy had nodded towards Roberts head

“What?” 

“It’s just I was thinking of getting one myself, don’t know how well I’d suit it though - being bald this long” Paddy flustered, ending with one of his signature awkward laughs.

“One of..?” 

“Oh! The wig of course! Looks dead nice, suits ya. Not sure it’d be my colour though” 

Aaron had by now arrived back downstairs looking suitably smug with himself as he didn’t intervene with the conversation that was getting weirder and _weirder_.

“Ask Liv” Robert rolled his eyes, ending the conversation by scurrying off upstairs, not forgetting to shove Aaron playfully in the process. 

\--

**Aaron**

It had been a week now and everyone in the village had been talking about Robert’s new look. 

_Maybe he’s having a midlife crisis_

_Do you think he’s having a breakdown?_

“I can’t believe it’s still not fading” Robert groaned, ruffling his hair up with a towel as Aaron sat on the bed scrolling through his social media feed “Semi permanent, Liv said” 

“You’ll just have to get used to it for a bit” Aaron sighed from the bed

“I look a right pillock” Robert whined

Aaron tossed his phone onto the bedside table and crawled the length of the bed, sitting on his knees as Robert gazed into the dressing table mirror. 

“You look fine” Aaron reasoned, Robert turning to face him with a pout on his face “You do!”

Robert leaned down to kiss him, positioning himself between his legs and then burying his face into his broad shoulders. “Do you still fancy me?” 

Aaron pulled away to give Robert his signature ‘do you really have to ask?’ look, taking the opportunity to run his fingers through the towel-dried ends. “You look quite fit as a brunette, y’know?” 

Roberts eyes perked up “This doing it for ya?” 

“Maybe” Aaron grinned, biting his lip as he raked in Roberts new appearance “Makes your eyes bluer” 

“You like my eyes” Robert mused

“You know I do” Aaron smiled, leaning in for a soft kiss “Like your hair too” 

“Mmm?” Robert murmured, deepening the kiss

They’d fallen into bed together that night, Aaron showing Robert just _how much_ he appreciated his new look. Robert decided that blondes definitely _didn’t_ have more fun.


End file.
